Fluid heater and method of operating the same



May 30, 1933. c LUCKE 1,911,375

FLUID HEATER AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME Filed March 14, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet l Mm n INVENTOR g a BY Lg] U U ,4 ATTORNEYS May 30, 1933.c. E. LUCKE 1,911,375

FLUID HEATER AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME Filed March 14, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Figd INVENTOR Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE,

CHARLES E. LUCKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BABOOOK & WILCOXCOK- PANY, OF BAYONNE, ,NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FLUIDHEATER AND mn'rnon or ornna'rnte THE samn Application filed March 14,1930. Serial No. 435,754.

boiler, etc., in which the ends of the tubes of the fluid heater areconnected to machined headers.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which I have illustrated certain embodiments thereof, andin which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a number oftubes connected at one end to a header in accordance with my invention;Fig. 2 isa section taken on'the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustratingv "themselves being ofdifferent sizes, and is taken along the line 77 of Fig.- 8; Fig. 8 is asectional elevation of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, butillustrating the inlet and outlet openings for the tubes and the tubesthemselves of the-same size; Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 9;Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation illustrating a single inlet opening andtwo outlet openings for the header; Fig. 12 is a section taken along theline 1212 of Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 3, butillustrating the header as sinuous in form.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 isa-header which, in accordance with my. invention, is formed from a baror late of metal which may be cheaply forme as by rolling. My inventionis particularly useful for a fluid heater,

which is adapted to withstand high pres-' sures as well as hightemperatures.

The plate or bar 10 is drilled with openings as at 11 and 12 to forminlet and outlet openings for the header. In the embodiment of myinvention illustrated in Fig.

2,-the header is provided with two rows of inlet' openings 11 and tworows of outlet openings 12. The plate or bar is also bored to formconnecting passages 13 which afiord. communication between the inlet andoutlet openings 11 and 12. In the embodiment of my invention illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2, the plate or bar is bored from opposite edges to formtwo aligned passages 13 separated by a partition 101. The lower one ofthese passages provides communication with an inlet tube 14 and anoutlet tube 15, while the upper connecting passage 13 afl'ordscommunication between an upper inlet tube and outlet tube.

Inlet tubes 14"andoutlet tubes 15 communicate with openings 11 and 12,respectively, and form fluid-tight joints with walls surrounding thesame.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,"the endsof the tubes are upset as at 16, and are preferably formed with flanges16' and at their ends with conical-surfaces 17 which are seated in corresponding conical seats in the header as best shown in Fig. 2'. The tubesare held totheir seats by plates or members 18 which may besubstantially hexagonal in form as indicated in Fig. 1, and which-engagethe flanges 16'.

The members 18 are provided with studs- 19 cooperating with nuts 20 toforce the members 18 against the flanges, and thereby hold the tubes totheir seats. It will be noted that a sufiicient number of the plates 18engage each of the flanges 16 to produce a symmetrical arrangement andthus produce even distribution of pressure on the flanges 16 and conicalsurfaces 17.

Theends of the. connecting passages 13 are closed as by plugs 21 whichmay be threaded into the header and then welded as at 22.

In the embodiment of 'my invention illusbers 18 which as indicated maybe welded other and providing a, substantially gastight wall for a gasflue, the headers at opposite ends of the heater being slightl staggeredso, that the fluid flows throug the tubes and the headers in series inthe manner indicated by the arrows.

In'the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, theheaders 1O are bored with openings 11 and 12 differing in size, inlettubes 14; and outlet tubes 15 communicating with the respectiveopenings. The provision of different size tubes is particularlyadvantageous in the case of a steaming economizer where the smallertubes carry the water, and the larger tubes carry the mixture of steamand water. The tubes are also held to their tube seats by flange members23 of the form shown in Fig. ,8, which may be preferably screwed ontothe tubes as at 24;. Bolts 25 pass through the plates 23 and hold thetubes to the tube seats. i v

The arrangement illustrated in Figs} 9 and 10 is the same as thatillustrated in Figs.

.7 and 8, except for the fact'that the openings 11 and 12 are of thesame size as are the tubes 14 and 15.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, the header 10 isbored with a single inlet opening 11 with which the inlet tube l i'communicates, and is bored with two outlet openings 12. The bar 10 isformed with a passage 311 affording com munication between the outletopenings, and also a passage 312 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 11affording communication between the inlet opening 11 and the pas- I sage311. All of the passages, as well as the tubes, are preferably of thesame size, so that the outlet flow area is greaterthan that of the inletflow area. 1 The arrangement illustrated in Fig.- 13 is the same as Fig.3 heretofore described, except for the fact that the header is sinuousin form.

In the fluid heater made in accordance with my invention, the majoroperation performed during the manufacture of the tube connectors isthat of boring, which is carried out cheaply and at high speed.- Theheating device, therefore, is cheap as .com-

pared, for example, with one employing orged fittings as tubeconnectors. The different sized openings may be secured in the headermerely by changing the size of the drill. Furthermore, it will be notedthat the openings and/or passages can readily be rebored to larger size.

I claim: i

. 1. The method of making a@ fluid heater bar.

which consists in boring inlet and outlet openings of different sizes ina wall of a metal bar,.boring a connecting passage in said bar whichafl'ords communication between said inlet and outlet openings, closingthe open end of said connecting passage, and connecting the fluidheating tubes to the respective inlet and outlet openings of said 2. Themethod of making a fluid heater comprising a bank of tubes connectingheaders at their ends which consists in boring inlet and outlet openingsinto a plurality of' bars, boring connecting passages in said bars whichaflord communication between the in let and outlet openings, closing theopen end of said connecting passages, layingthe headers one upon theother at the ends of the heater, and providing'a fluid-tight connectionbetween the ends of the tubes of said bank and the first-mentionedopenings in said headers.

3. In a fluid heater, headers at each end of the heater laid one uponthe other to form a substantially gas-tight closure, each header beingprovided with bored inlet and outlet openings and a bored connectingpassage alfording communication between said inlet and'outlet openings,means for closing the ends of-said connecting passages, and means forforming a fluid-tight connection between the ends of the tubes and thebored inlet and outlet openings, said headers substantially confiningheated gases flowing over said tubes.

4. A header for fluid heat exchange apparatus comprising, incombination, a solid body of metal having substantially co-axialchambers leading into the body from opposite sides thereof and'leaving asubstantial web of metal separating the adjacent ends of the chambers, awall of each chamber providing a plurality of transverse passagescommunicating with the corresponding chamber, and a tube communicatingwith each passage and held in pressure tight replurality of saidpassages, means for closing the end of each chamber through which it isformed, and tubes communicating with the passages and joined with thebody in fluid tight contact.

6. In fluid heat exchange apparatus, headers piled one upon the other atopposite sides of a gas pass to form furnace gas boundary walls and tubebank supports, the

individual headers provided with bored inlet and outlet openings, tubesextending across the gas pass and oommunicatin with the openings inopposite headers, flui -tight joints formed between the tubes and the 5header walls around the openings, through bolts extending through thewalls and actin upon the joints to maintain them in flui tightcondition, and means acting on the bolts and against the exterior sidesof the 1 walls to tighten the joints, the individual headers being alsoprovided with a bored connecting passage providing communica-.tionbetween the inlet. and outlet openin s. CHARLES E. LUCE.

